How would you feel about end-game gear only being useful for 3 months?

[Azurymber]

Very cynical post to say the least. Also quite a lot of presumptions.

Human nature is but a single variable in a complex equation that defines individuality.

That being said, I don't think anyone really disagrees that content catering to EJs is necessary.

Individuality is predominantly cortex-centered and even that has predispositions based on common genetics in all humans towards certain types of behaviour.

From an evolutionary psychology standpoint: Humans that had more wayyyy back 10000s of years ago survived better. Therefore having genetics that promoted attaining more than others was beneficial and promoted survival, and those genes were passed on.

Now that is in no way the only things that have been passed on. We also have parts of our brain that promote cooperation and fair play. And one major reason for that is to help regulate long-term relationships.
But in todays' disjointed society of mass cities most people are isolated (not part of a village-like community) and thus you get the whole capitalism super greed and corruption thing.

But the point is human behaviour and emotion is someone static in -certain- regards across cultures and race. And the preference for relative over absolute gains is one of them. But you are right, individuality comes in to play when your brain determines which part to listen to.
like some neuroscientists propose that when you decide whether or not to "screw someone over" economically your brain has a conflict between the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (emotion or what some might call an unconscious bias) and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (cognition, or what some might call conscious rationality).
Other argue the ventromedial prefrontal cortex isn't a hotbed of unconcious emotion but rather a seat for pro-cooperative societal thinking (which let people function in hunter-gatherer groups)

in other words its all complicated.
But the fact that people tend to reject "unfair" offers or try to give "unfair" offers is pretty clear evidence that humans are not rational and are more interested in having more than others or winning, than having more in general.